Gas-generator.



J. W. BODYFIBLD.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 16, 1912.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

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J. W. BODYFIELD.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16, 1912.

1,074,042. Pa ented Sept. 23, 1913.

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JOHN W. BODYFIELD, OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

GAS-GENERATOR.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN 'W. Bonvrncm), a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene gas apparatus, the object in view being to provide, in connection with a suitable generator and gas holder or bell, automatic feed mechanism for successively feeding charges of carbid to the generator in accordance with the rising and falling movements of the bell and the gas contained therein and delivered thereto from the generator.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, as y will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an acetylene generator and gas holder, showing the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan View of part of the hopper. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a part of the hopper, taken at right angles to Fi 1, showing one of the buckets. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the hopper on a smaller scale, taken at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the buck ets in side elevation and the relative arrangement of the catches. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of bucket.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the generator which is in the form of a vertical cylinder closed at the bottom, as shown at 2, and provided adjacent to the bottom with a hole 3 to enable the residue to be removed therefrom. Arranged above the bottom 2 is a false bottom 1 of inverted frusto-conical form, and having a central opening 5 covered by a screen 5', through which the residue gra'vitates into the bottom portion of the generator, from which it may be subsequently removed. Operating above the false bottom t is a cone-shaped stopper 6, adapted to close the opening 5 when in its lowermost position. Extending upward from the stopper 6 is a stem 7 which passes through a guide 8 and outwardly through a guide tube 9 in the top 10 of the generator, where it is provided Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1912.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Serial No. 731,777.

with a suitable operating handle 11, by means of which the stopper (5 may be forced down to close the opening 5, or raised to leave said opening clear for the passage of residue through the same.

The gas holder comprises the usual cylindrical body 12, in which is arranged the lower open end of a vertically movable bell 13 adapted to rise and fall in accordance with the gas contained therein. Connected to the upper part of the holder 12 is a guide frame, comprising the parallel side members 14:, and cross bar 15 connecting the same at the top, the bell being provided with runners or eyes 16 which embrace the guides 14 and move up and down thereon.

l7 designates the gas pipe, one vertical arm of which is arranged in the generator 1, and has its open upper extremity arranged above the water level, indicated at 18. The gas pipe 17 passes outwardly through the body 1 adjacent to the bottom thereof, and into the bottom portion of the gas holder, thence upward to a point above the water level, whereby the gas generated is conveyed from the generator into the gas holder.

19 designates a service gas pipe which leads from the holder to the points of use.

20 designates a funnel or carbid magazine, from which a pipe 21 leads into the generator 1, at a point intermediate the height of the latter, as shown. After the generator is filled with water up to the water level, indicated at 18, oil is placed in the upper portion of the pipe 21, so that the carbid has to pass through the oil before reaching the water contained in the generator. Within the hopper 20 is arranged a plurality of carbid holding buckets 22. Under the arrangement shown in Fig. 8, each of said buckets comprises four sides, and an inclined bottom 23, each bucket being hinged to the inner wall of the funnel 20, as shown at 2 1, and being offset from the wall of the hopper by means of wedge-shaped spacing blocks 25 which will insure the falling of the bucket 22, when released, as hereinafter described. Connected pivotally to each of the buckets, at the point 26, is a catch 27 which passes through an opening 28 in the wall of the hopper, and is provided with a shoulder 29 to engage the hopper wall for the purpose of holding the bucket in an upright position.

30 designates a spring for holding the catch in engagement with the hopper wall. By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the catches all extend beyond the plane of the outer face of the hopper wall, and are arranged at different elevations, so as to be acted upon successively by a trip 31 in the Y connection with the hopper wall and dump. ing the carbid contained therein into the bottom of the funnel or hopper, from whence it passes through the oil and into the water contained in the generator. The gas generated thereby causes the bell to quickly as cend, and after the gas is consumed therein and the bell again descends, the trip arm comes into contact with the next highest catch, causing the discharge of the carbid from the bucket controlled thereby. Any number of buckets may be employed in accordance with the size of the machine and the hopper. It will be observed that the buckets are thus successively discharged, thereby maintaining the generator in operative condition, as long as any buckets remain filled with carbid.

Instead of mounting the buckets in a manner illustrated in Fig. 3, they may be an ranged as shown in Fig. 5, in which the in nerinclined wall 82 of each bucket is pivotally connected to the stationary portion or the bucket, as shown at 33, while the catch, indicated at 34:, is pivotally connected to the hinged wall32 at or near the bottom thereof,

filling each of the buckets with carbid, each bucket holding a sufficient quantity of carbid to produce the requisite amount of gas to fill the holder. After this, the generator is entirely automatic in operation, as indicated in the foregoing description, the buckets being successively discharged by the trip carried by the rising and falling bell of the gas holder. 7

W hat is claimed is: V

1. The combination with a gas generator, and a gas holder embodying a rising and falling bell, of a triparm carried by the bell, a hopper embodying a plurality of dumping carbid holding buckets adapted for independent discharge and contained in the body of the hopper, and catches holding said buckets and projecting through the outside wall of the hopper and arranged for direct actuation successively by said trip arm.

2. The combination with a gas generator, and a gas holder embodying a rising and falling bell, of a trip arm carried by the bell, a hopper, a plurality of carbid holding buckets arranged in an inclined series along a straight upright wall of the hopper, and sustaining catches for said buckets also arranged in an inclined series and adapted for direct and successive actuation by said trip arm.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

JOHN W. BODYFIELD.

Witnesses: 7

DELBITT C. Rose,

JAMES MATTI-Inws.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. .Washington, D. G. 

